Pope Leo XIV has cast a mail-in ballot in the upcoming US midterm elections, making history as the first pope known to vote in an American election and potentially the first to participate in a secular democratic election.
The Vatican confirmed on Friday that the Chicago-born pontiff had submitted his ballot in Illinois.
In a statement, the Vatican said the Pope believed citizens had both the right and the responsibility to participate in democratic processes.
Michael Walsh, a British historian and author of several books on the papacy, said Leo XIV’s participation appeared to be unprecedented.
“I don’t think popes have ever voted in a democratic election before,” Walsh told CNN.
Although he became head of the Catholic Church in May 2025, Leo XIV remains a US citizen. Records show he is registered to vote under his baptismal name, Robert Francis Prevost, in New Lenox, a suburb of Chicago where his brother John lives.
The pontiff has a history of participating in US elections. He reportedly voted in both Republican and Democratic primaries in recent years and also cast a ballot in the 2024 presidential election.
His latest ballot is expected to cover the Illinois Senate and gubernatorial races, as well as elections for the US House of Representatives and various state and county positions.
Leo XIV has continued to encourage civic participation since becoming pope, urging people to make their voices heard on public issues, including the US-Israel war against Iran.
His comments and positions have also brought him into disagreements with President Donald Trump’s administration over the conflict and its immigration policies. Trump previously launched public criticisms of the pontiff but has been less critical in recent months.
The Pope has maintained an interest in Illinois politics long before his election to the papacy. In 2011, when he was still known as Reverend Robert Prevost, he personally contacted then-Illinois Governor Pat Quinn to thank him for abolishing capital punishment in the state.
He also met Illinois Governor JB Pritzker at the Vatican in November 2025. Their discussions included immigration enforcement, although Leo XIV later expressed opposition to legislation signed by Pritzker that permits medically assisted death.
It remains unclear whether the Pope mailed his ballot from the Vatican. His brother John was in the Vatican on Wednesday with pilgrims from St Jude’s Parish in New Lenox for a meeting with the pontiff.
Before the Vatican’s confirmation, an official from the Will County Clerk’s Office told the Chicago Sun-Times that Robert Francis Prevost was among those who had requested mail-in ballots for the election.
Despite serving as head of state of Vatican City, Leo XIV retains his American citizenship and is eligible to vote in US elections.
